To become a bicycle repairer, you need two essential qualities: a passion for cycling and a certain sense of DIY.

From long to short courses, continuously or alternately, through certificates accessible without the bac or the recent creation of the Cycling Academy by the government, what are the main training courses in the sector?

The CQP cycle

To exercise the profession of repairer, it is advisable to have a professional qualification certificate (CQP) cycle technician.

Recognized by the State, it is obtained by following a training course of a few weeks (between 3 and 7 depending on the organization).

Accessible to holders of a CAP / BEP, this professional program is paying - between 1,500 and 2,000 euros -, knowing that support by Pôle Emploi is possible.

The training ends with a final exam consisting of a theoretical test and a practical test in workshop conditions.

CQP holders can apply for a position of cycle sales technician or cycle workshop technician in a store of a major sports brand, a neighborhood bicycle shop, or even in their own establishment if they are tempted by entrepreneurship.

The choice of work-study

In France, several organizations provide training to become a bicycle repairer. And to acquire the required skills, these training courses often rely on field work. This is the case, for example, within the CNPC sport business campus, which specializes in supporting future technicians, salespeople and managers in sport sectors, particularly in the field of cycling. The institute, whose campuses are located in Pau, Grenoble, Paris, Miramas and Nantes, offers work-study training lasting several months.

Same principle at the National Institute of Cycle and Motorcycle (INCM), whose cycle mechanic and cycle technical advisor programs extend over less than a year alternately and lead to a CQP.

These courses are accessible without the bac, to young people aged 16 to 25, to job seekers or to people retraining.

The INCM, in Île-de-France, allows for its part to obtain the mechanical cycle CQP or cycle technical advisor, alternating over 12 months.

Finally, let us quote, among others, the National Agency for the vocational training of adults (AFPA) and its training, open to all, of mechanic repairer of cycles and thermal and electric motorcycles, which is carried out over 7 months including, there again, periods in business.

Additional short courses

Beyond diploma programs lasting several months, most approved schools and institutes offer shorter sessions, over a few weeks or even a few days. The objective is not to obtain professional qualifications but to acquire a solid foundation in bicycle mechanics (shelving, hydraulic brakes, suspensions, electrically assisted bicycle, etc.). This is the opportunity to learn about the sale of bicycles, the profession of cycle technician or the takeover and creation of a business for the most enterprising. Less expensive than CQP, they generally cost between 250 and 800 euros, depending on the organization.

For example, the CNPC Sport Business Campus institute integrates several short bicycle mechanics modules over 2 to 5 days.

Near Toulouse, the Sup de Vélo school also offers courses dedicated to cycle mechanics, whether it be the CQP technician cycles (over 42 days) or short sessions of 3 to 4 days on specialized subjects.

The Cycling Academy

Following the “Cycling Help” plan aimed at boosting the practice of cycling, the government recently launched the Academy of Cycling Trades, in order to meet the growing demand for repairs.

Supported by the Federation of Bicycle Users (FUB), it relies on the INCM, the benchmark organization in the field of training for two-wheeler trades.

The Academy offers cycle operator training delivered over 20 days with the aim of training 500 certified mechanics per year and up to 1,250 by 2023.

Bike enthusiasts and apprentice mechanic repairers can acquire a solid base of technical skills that can be used immediately in stores and workshops, currently in high demand for personnel.

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